General Motors: Used Car Ambush

While Ashton Kutcher's nowhere to be found, the theme of Mullen's new site for General Motors does bear similarities to the celeb's Punk'd show.

The overall goal of GM's "Used Car Ambush" destina

Published on Jul 28, 2008

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While Ashton Kutcher's nowhere to be found, the theme of Mullen's new site for General Motors does bear similarities to the celeb's Punk'd show.

The overall goal of GM's "Used Car Ambush" destination is to show the drawbacks of buying a private seller's used vehicle over a GM Certified ride. Mullen hired 20 undercover film/surveillance professionals with eight cameras as well as an actor playing the prospective buyer to "ambush" and capture unassuming private sellers.

The actor, who's prompted by producers stowed away in a hidden van, improvises and engages in different conversations with each party. Among other things, he asks to give the ride a 117-point inspection or install a phone at the seller's' house for 24/7 roadside assistance, both of which are key elements of a GM certified vehicle.

The footage of the interaction with the marks is all housed within the Ambush site, which gives visitors a first-person view inside a surveillance van. Here, they're faced with a handful of monitors that each provide their own source of content, including full details on getting GM certified, behind-the-scenes footage of the Ambush campaign.